This year nearly one million cruise tourists are expected to arrive in Belize - and experts in the field say that numbers like that are pushing the limit of Belize's Cruise infrastructure. We're talking about the Fort Street Tourism Village - which is still tendering in Cruise passengers from their ships anchored 8 miles out of the Belize harbor. All the industry experts acknowledge that the Belize District needs a proper berthing facility where the cruise ships can just pull up to the mainland - rather than have their passengers tendered in.
That's been the prevailing wisdom for almost 10 years now, but nothing has happened. When the Stake Bank legislation was passed in the National assembly earlier this year with bi-partisan support….well, everyone thought that finally things would change. But, since then Government has been deliberately dragging its feet on the Stake Bank Cruise Docking Facility Development Bill and has not brought it into force.
That has spelled frustration for developer Mike Feinstein who says he has multi million dollar financing on hold. But, the entire prospect of his project getting off the ground has caused some restiveness with the existing cruise port - the Fort Street Tourism Village - and, tonight, the news is that the lawsuits and countersuits are flying fast and furious, and from all sides.
First, the Fort Street Tourism Village is suing government and the Tourism Board saying basically that if it brings the Stake Bank bill into force, it will be violating a 2007 exclusivity agreement with Fort Street as a port and will have to compensate them for their economic losses.
And now Mike Feinstein is countersuing the Fort Street Tourism Village, the Government and the Tourism Board. His case is even more explosive. It says that the head tax collected by the Fort Street tourism village is unlawful. His suit challenges the very essence of the lucrative head tax structure, saying, those taxes can only be paid into the consolidated revenue find - not to a private interest such as FSTV.
Now, that's serious business because those head taxes add up to millions of dollars in revenue yearly for the FSTV. And in his affidavit FSTV's Director of Finance and Operations Eilad Aharon accused Mike Feinstein of resorting to "economic terrorism."
The case goes to court in February of next year with Eamon Courtenay appearing for FSTV, Andrew Marshalleck for Mike Feinstein and Government representing itself and the BTB….
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